Utilisation of Rep-PCR to track microbes in aerosols collected adjacent to their source, a saline lake in Victoria, Australia

► Dust is an important source of bioaerosols including bacteria. ► Dust events contribute to the distribution of microbes in the environment. ► Viable bacteria can be cultured from dust and genetically fingerprinted by Rep-PCR. ► Rep-PCR revealed high strain diversity in sediments and aerosols. ► Rep-PCR allowed tracking of a strain from the ground up to 150 m into the air.